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UNIV.  OF  FL  LIB 
DOCUMENTS  DFF- 


U.S.  DEPOSITORY 


Hawaii  Agricultural  Experiment  Station, 


HONOLULU. 


J.  G.  SMITH,  Special  Agent  in  Charge. 


PRESS  BULLETIN  No,  \  2, 


i'""'Z""~~ 


TOBACCO  EXPERIMENTS  IN  HAMAKUA, 


INTRODUCTION, 


In  the  Autumn  of  1903,  a  co-operative  experiment  was  ar- 
ranged under  the  joint  auspices  of  the  Territorial  ^arA^«Com-»*^k 
missioners  of  Agriculture  and  Forestry  and  the  Hawlni^AgltEill* 
tural  Experiment  Station,  for  the  purpose  of  demonstrating' me 
practicability  of  growing  the  best  grades  of  cigar  tobacco  in 
Hawaii. 

An  examination  of  sites  was  made  by  Mr.  F.  E.  Conter,  a  Spe- 
cial Agent,  who,  in  the  beginning,  had  charge  of  the  work.  Mr. 
Conter  visited  the  Puna,  Hilo,  Hamakua  and  Kona  Districts  of 
the  island  of  Hawaii  and  finally  selected  a  small  tract  on  the 
Louisson  Brothers'  Plantation  on  the  lands  of  Pohakea,  Hama- 
kua. A  lease  of  2  1-2  acres  of  the  land  was  secured  in  the  name 
of  the  Secretary  of  Agriculture,  Washington,  D.  C,  at  the  nomi- 
nal rental  of  Five  Dollars  per  annum.  Special  privileges  were 
granted  by  the  owners  of  the  land,  who  have  assisted  the  enter- 
prise in  every  way  in  their  power.  The  land  was  new  and  un- 
cultivated, so  that  a  delav  of  some  months  ensued  before  the 
field  could  be  made  ready  for  planting.  The  first  crop  was  trans- 
planted to  the  experimental  plots  in  March  and  April,  1904. 

The  experimental  tobacco  field  was  located  in  Hamakua  because 
the  physical  character  of  the  soil  was  right  to  produce  a  good 
quality  of  crop.  The  Pohakea  Homestead  lands  were  suitable, 
available  and  convenient.  There  are  other  areas  in  Puna,  Kau 
and  Kona  on  Hawaii  and  on  each  of  the  other  Islands  of  the 


group,  but  at  the  time  this  experiment  was  undertaken,  the  Poha- 
kea  tract  was  selected  as  the  most  convenient  place  in  which  to 
carry  on  field  work. 

WHERE    CAN    TOBACCO    BE   GROWN  ? 

The  determinant  factors  in  the  production  of  tobaccos  of  high 
grade  and  fine  flavor  are : 

Soils  of  the  proper  physical  texture. 

A  suitable  climate. 

Selected  seed. 

Clean  cultivation,  fertilization  and  the  requisite  skill  in  curing 
and  fermenting  the  crop  to  produce  a  uniform  quality  of  leaf. 

TOBACCO   SOILS. 

The  texture  of  a  soil,  that  is,  the  ratio  between  clay,  silt,  fine 
and  coarse  sand,  is  held  to  have  much  to  do  with  the  type  of  the 
product.  Good  seed  planted  on  unfavorable  soils  will  not  pro- 
duce good  tobacco.  The  texture  governs  the  water-holding 
capacity  of  the  soil,  and  this,  in  turn,  controls,  to  some  extent, 
the  physiological  changes  within  the  growing  plant;  so  that, 
eliminating  other  factors,  the  type  of  crop,  which  a  given  soil  will 
produce,  can  be  pre-determined,  to  some  extent,  merely  by  an 
examination  of  the  soil. 

The  color  of  the  cured  leaf,  whether  light  or  dark,  its  thinness 
and  elasticity,  depend,  apparently,  almost  absolutely  on  soil  char- 
acteristics and  its  water-holding  capacity. 

SOME  HAWAIIAN  TOBACCO  SOILS. 

The  soil  on  the  Hamakua  homesteads  and  on  the  Hamakua 
tract  of  land  adapted  to  tobacco, — a  belt  extending  from  Paauhau 
to  Hakalau  at  an  elevation  of  from  iooo  to  2500  feet — ,  is  a  sandy 
forest  loam,  very  rich  in  humus  and  with  a  high  nitrogen  con- 
tent. The  color  of  the  soil  is  a  light  brown  becoming  almost  black 
when  wet. 


ANALYSIS  OF  POHAKEA  SOIL. 1 


Physical   Analysis 

Per  cent. 

Combined  water  and 

organic 35-935 

Fine  gravel  i. — 2.  mm. 

16. 511 

Coarse  sand  1. — 0.5  mm. 

11.337 

Medium  sand  0.5 — 0.25 

mm 6.716 

Fine  sand  0.25 — 0.1  mm. 
14.002 

Very  fine  sand  0.1 — 0.05 
mm 8.339 

Silt  0.05 — 0.005  mm.     5.848 

Clay  0.005 — 0.0001   "        .940 


Chemical  Analysis 

Per  cent. 

Water t .  . .  19.540 

Organic  and  combined 

water 28.360 

Insoluble 19.320 

Fe2  Oa  J  Iron  and  alu- 

Al2  O3  J      mina 28.797 

Ca  O .  .  lime 300 

Mg.  O  magnesia 631 

S  O3   sulph.  acid 343 

P2  05  phosphoric  acid     .703 

K2  O  potash 077 

Nitrogen   total 728 

Humus  12.470 

Humic  nitrogen 560 

Nitrogen  %  in  humus  4.490 


iAnalysis  by  Dr.  Edmund  C.  Shorey. 

It  will  be  noted  that  although  the  "iron  and  alumina"  content 
is  high  the  percentage  of  clay  is  very  low.  The  "fine  gravel"  and 
"coarse  sand"  are  really  reducable  to  "fine  sand"  and  "very  fine 
sand"  if  the  soil  is  shaken  in  water  for  longer  than  the  customary 
period  previous  to  analysis.  There  is  almost  no  true  clay  in  this 
soil,  and  practically  no  true  gravel  or  coarse  sand. 

The  lime  is  present  as  a  silicate  and  is  too  low  in  quantity  to 
neutralize  the  acidity.  The  potash  content  is  very  low.  Never- 
theless a  dressing  of  sulphate  of  potash  applied  to  the  experi- 
mental plots  at  the  rate  of  500  pounds  per  acre  produced  cigar 
leaf  of  exceptionally  good  burning  qualities.  The  nitrogen  al- 
though high  is  largely  unavailable  so  that  it  will  pay  to  use  mod- 
erate amounts  of  nitrate  on  the  crop.  The  phosphoric  acid  is 
presumably  largely  unavailable. 


ANALYSIS    OF    KONA    SOIL. 


A  tobacco  soil  above  Kailua  at  an  elevation  of  600  feet  com- 
pares very  favorably  with  some  of  the  best  Sumatra  soil : 


Kailua,  Kona  Soil.i  Rimboen,  Sumatra  soil.2 

Per  cent.  per  cent. 

Organic  and  combined  Organic  matter 23.41 

water    30.82  Gravel 81 

Fine  gravel  11.85  Coarse  sand   1.44 

Coarse  sand    13.25  Medium  sand   3.62 

Medium  sand   3.95  Fine  sand   13.94 

Fine  sand    .      8.42  y        fine  sand   

Very  fine  sand 28.2s  „.    '  *  J 

Silt 1.75  Sllt 23-5i 

Clay 85  Clay 2.72 

Total  nitrogen .94 

Color  of  soil,  light  brown. 

1  Analysis  by  Dr.  Edmund  C.  Shorey. 

2B11I.  5.  Div  Soils.  U.  S.  Dept.  Agric,  Washington,  D.  C,  1896. 

Hawaiian  soils  on  cultivation  rapidly  disintegrate  their  coarser 
particles.  The  shotty  particles  technically  classed  as  "fine  gravel" 
and  "coarse  sand"  when  worked  with  a  rubber  pestle  or  rubbed 
between  the  fingers  crush  down  to  a  fine  powder.  The  ultimate 
soil  grains  are  agglutinated  in  masses  because  of  the  exceptionally 
large  percentage  of  organic  matter  in  the  soil. 

The  Kona  district  is  undoubtedly  better  adapted  to  tobacco 
cultivation  than  Hamakua  because  of  the  protection  from  strong 
Irade  winds.  But  the  tobacco  soils  of  Hamakua  and  Kona  are 
very  similar  in  all  their  characteristics. 

CLIMATE. 

The  influence  of  climate  on  the  growing  of  tobacco  is  a  potent 
factor.  Cigar  tobaccos,  of  good  quality,  are  produced  through 
a  wide  range  in  latitude.  Proximity  to  the  ocean  has  always 
been  considered  a  deterrent  influence. 

Tobacco  requires  from  70  to  100  inches  annual  rainfall,  from 
one-half  to  one-third  of  this  during  the  growing  season.  Mod- 
erate temperatures,  frequent  showers  or  irrigation,  to  promote 
even,  uninterrupted  growth,  neither  too  rapid  nor  too  slow, 
constitute   an   important   element   in    determining   the   suitability 


of  any  district  where  soil  sonditions  are  correct.  Monotony  of 
daily  and  seasonal  temperatures  are  characteristic  of  Hawaii,  so 
that  the  rainfall  or  the  ability  to  irrigate  the  crop,  when  required, 
become  of  greater  importance  than  any  consideration  of  actual 
temperatures. 

In  the  windward  districts,  protection  from  wind  must  be  pro- 
vided. This  may  be  accomplished  either  by  tenting  the  field  with 
cotton  cloth,  as  in  Connecticut  and  Florida,  or,  permitting  the 
larger  ohia  trees  to  remain  when  the  land  is  cleared;  or,  in  case 
tobacco  is  planted  on  lands  cleared  for  cane  or  other  "open-field" 
crops,  by  planting  or  constructing  suitable  windbreaks.  In  the 
leeward  districts,  the  protection  from  wind  may  be  neglected. 

THE    INFLUENCE    OF    GOOD    SEED. 

The  necessity  of  procuring  the  best  seed  is  a  factor  not  to 
be  neglected  or  minimized.  The  final  test,  as  to  the  value  of  a 
crop  of  tobacco,  does  not  come  for  at  least  a  year  after  the  seed 
is  sown,  and,  in  the  case  of  the  finer  cigar  wrapper  and  filler  types, 
not  for  two  or  three  years.  Each  year,  more  and  more  attention 
is  being  given  to  the  selection  of  good  seed.  Tobacco  seeds  are 
extremely  minute.  An  ounce,  if  every  seed  were  good,  would 
produce  plants  enough  to  plant  several  acres.  It  will  be  absolutely 
necessary  for  planters  in  Hawaii  to  save  their  own  seed  from  the 
best  individual  plants  of  the  best  strains  to  the  end,  that  a  race 
of  tobacco,  adapted  to  local  conditions,  may  be  developed. 

CULTIVATION   AND   FERTILIZERS. 

Tobacco  is  a  crop  that  re-pays  the  planter  in  proportion  to  the 
ratio  of  cultivation  and  attention  that  he  gives  it.  It  is  not  a  crop 
that  can  be  left  to  care  for  itself.  Constant  and  painstaking  su- 
pervision of  every  detail  toward  the  making  of  the  crop  will  well 
repay  the  cultivator.  Tobacco  is  essentially  a  hoed  crop.  Weeds 
are  plants  growing  out  of  place.  Any  plant,  except  tobacco,  in  a 
tobacco  field  is  a  weed  and  must  be  kept  down.  Cultivation  and 
fertilizers  must  be  used  and  applied  for  the  purpose  of  maintain- 
ing an  even,  rapid  growth,  for  there  is  no  doubt  that  uniform 
rapidity  of  growth  has  its  influence  on  the  quality  of  the  finished 
product.  Light  applications  of  nitrate  of  soda,  at  intervals  during 
the  growth  of  the  plant,  will  do  much  to  promote  this  required 
uniformity. 


The  curing  of  the  ripe  leaf  and  the  fermentation  of  the  cured 
article,  are  comparatively  recent  developments  in  the  science  of 
tobacco  culture.  These  processes  were  formerly  carried  on  by 
rule  of  thumb  and  the  reasons  for  curing  or  fermenting  were  but 
little  understood.  It  is  now,  however,  generally  recognized  that 
curing  and  fermentation  are  controllable  processes,  which,  when 
properly  conducted,  tend  towards  improvement  of  the  quality  and 
value  of  the  finished  article,  the  marketable  tobacco. 

If  we  are  to  produce  tobacco  on  a  commercial  scale  in  Hawaii, 
the  rules  of  experience  which  have  been  developed  in  Cuba,  Su- 
matra or  other  tobacco-growing  lands,  must  be  modified  and 
adapted  to  our  own  peculiar  local  soils,  climate  and  conditions. 

This  Report  is  and  can  be  only  preliminary.  The  results  of 
one  year's  experimenting  indicate  that  we  can  grow  fine  cigar- 
leaf  tobaccos  of  the  Havana  type,  which  can  be  classed  in  flavor, 
texture,  aroma  and  burning  qualities  with  the  medium  grades 
of  tobacco  imported  from  Cuba.  Our  volcanic  soils  are  not 
comparable  with  the  sandy  soils  of  Florida  or  the  limestone 
soils  of  Cuba,  and  yet,  the  fact  remains  that  we  have  produced 
good  tobacco  and  can  probably  do  much  better  during  the  com- 
ing seasons,  as  a  result  of  more  experience  and  better  equip- 
ment. 

After  comparison  of  our  results  with  those  obtained  elsewhere 
in  growing  tobacco  of  fine  quality,  it  is  believed  that  uniformity 
of  temperatures,  with  sufficient  moisture  during  the  growing  sea- 
son of  the  plant,  have  as  much  to  do  with  the  quality  of  tobacco 
as  any  other  physical  or  climatic  factor.  If  this  be  true,  our  re- 
markable monotony  of  temperatures  and  narrow  variations,  daily, 
monthly  and  seasonal,  should  make  it  possible  to  grow  in  Hawaii 
fine  tobaccos  which  will,  in  time,  be  classed  as  distinct  from  those 
of  any  other  land. 

In  the  beginning,  the  market  for  Hawaiian  grown  tobaccos 
will  be  at  home.  It  will  be  better  in  the  beginning  to  develop 
and  cater  to  the  local  demand. 

SEED   AND    SEEDLINGS. 

One  of  the  main  items  for  success  in  tobacco  culture,  is  to  have 
good,  strong,  healthy  plants  ready  to  transplant  to  the  field  at  the 
proper  time.  Good  seed  is  the  first  essential  in  their  production, 
for  without  good  stock  to  start  with,  one  can  hardly  expect  to  ob- 
tain the  best  results.    How  to  produce  that  kind  of  a  plant  is  still 

question,  whether  by  using  a  rich  soil  in  seed  boxes  or  beds 


and  procure  a  rapid  growth  of  top  upon  a  slender  root,  or,  to  use 
a  poorer  soil  and  develop  more  root  growth  and  less  leaf,  depend- 
ing upon  the  stronger  root  to  give  the  plant  a  better  start  when 
set  out  in  the  field.  It  would  appear  that  the  stronger  the  root 
system,  the  better  will  be  the  results  when  the  seedlings  are 
transplanted. 

An  open  seed-bed,  as  is  used  in  other  countries,  would  prove 
a  failure  in  Hawaii.  Insects  are  too  numerous  and  the  soil  too 
full  of  humus  to  stand  burning. 

Two  methods  can  be  recommended.  The  first  of  these  is  ele- 
vated boxes,  set  about  20  inches  from  the  ground  on  posts,  the 
box  level  and  projecting  at  least  6  inches  outside  the  posts,  31-2 
to  4  feet  wide,  10  to  12  feet  long  and  at  least  6  inches  deep.  Fill 
full  with  good  soil,  sifted  to  remove  sticks,  trash  and  stones,  the 
last  inch  being  finer,  so  that  the  seed,  which  is  very  small,  may 
come  in  closer  contact  with  the  soil  but  not  be  covered  too  deeply. 
Add  a  pound  or  two  of  air-slaked  lime  and  mix  well  with  the 
last  2  inches  of  top  soil  filled  into  the  boxes  or  beds. 

Good  soil  can  always  be  distinguished  by  its  texture.  If  it  is 
soft,  moist,  not  too  cold  and  has  a  velvety  feel,  it  is  good,  whereas, 
a  coarse,  hard,  dry  soil,  feeling  like  small  peas  or  pebbles,  will 
not  hold  moisture,  it  being  too  open  and  porous.  Soil  rich  in 
humus  is  sour  and,  in  it,  plants  do  not  do  well  on  this  account. 
The  lime  added  to  the  top  soil  in  the  seed-bed  corrects  this  acidity. 
It  is  often  a  good  plan  to  water  the  seed-bed  with  lime  water, 
even  after  the  plants  are  up,  but  the  best  is  to  mix  the  lime  in  the 
top  soil. 

The  seed-boxes,  when  the  seeds  show  up,  should  be  covered 
with  a  gable-roofed  frame,  covered  with  cheese  cloth  or  light,  open 
cotton.  This  cover  retains  the  moisture,  maintains  a  more 
nearly  uniform  temperature,  and  wards  off  insects. 

The  other  method  is  to  build  a  large  cloth  house,  with  gable 
roof  and  in  it,  arrange  the  beds  so  as  to  get  around  among  them, 
The  elevated  boxes,  for  a  few  plants,  are  the  easiest  to  make  and 
care  for.  In  an  excessively  rainy  period,  the  boxes  do  not  drain 
off  the  water  as  well  as  the  beds  and  become  cold  and  soggy.  For 
growing  a  large  number  of  plants,  the  seed  house  is  to  be  pre- 
ferred. 

All  seed  boxes  and  beds  should  be  sterilized,  especially  to  kill 
insects  and  their  eggs.  An  easy  way  to  do  this  is  to  use  from 
10  to  20  gallons  of  boiling  water,  applied  as  evenly  and  quickly 


8 

as  possible  and  cover  with  some  kind  of  a  blanket  to  retain  the 
heat.     A  pair  of  saddle  blankets  answer  the  purpose  nicely. 

After  the  seed-beds  become  cold,  they  are  ready  for  the  seed, 
and  if  the  top  has  become  packed,  it  should  be  loosened  and  made 
fine. 

Tobacco  seed  is  exceedingly  small,  an  ounce  containing  about 
380,000  seeds,  of  which,  at  best,  only  about  50  per  cent,  will  ger- 
minate. One  pod  produces  fully  5000  seeds  and  one  plant  is 
capable  of  furnishing  seed  enough  to  plant  250  acres,  if  all  were 
to  grow.  One  heaping  tablespoonful  of  seed  will  sow  100  square 
yards  of  seed-bed  and  furnish  plants  to  set  from  4  to  5  acres,  with 
10,000  plants  per  acre,  of  cigar  tobacco.  Mix  the  right  quantity 
of  seed  with  a  quart  or  so  of  dry,  sifted  ashes.  The  ashes  show 
where  the  seed  has  or  has  not  been  sown  on  the  surface  of  the  bed. 

The  seed-box  or  bed,  after  sowing,  should  be  watered,  using 
a  fine  rose  watering-pot,  so  as  to  moisten  the  soil  and  also  to  pack 
it  around  the  seed,  but  only  enough  water  should  be  used  to  give 
the  desired  result. 

Cover  the  seed-boxes  or  beds  with  open  burlap  (old  grain 
bags,  cut  open,  do  well  for  this  purpose),  until  the  young  plants 
appear,  then  the  boxes  are  ready  for  their  movable  gable-roofed 
covers.  All  covers  for  plants,  after  they  are  up,  should  be  so 
constructed  that  the  roof  partially  turns  the  water,  or  else  it 
drips  through  in  large  drops,  which  soon  kill  the  tender  leaves 
of  the  plant  by  pounding  them  against  the  ground.  All  flat  cov- 
ers should  be  avoided,  for  the  same  reason,  unless  the  cover 
comes  in  direct  contact  with  the  surface  of  the  ground  and,  even 
then,  a  very  heavy  rain  makes  a  crust  on  the  top  of  the  soil. 

Tobacco  seed  should  be  sown  thinly,  so  the  plants  have  room 
to  grow ;  each  plant  should  have  at  least  one  square  inch  of  surface 
to  make  a  sturdy  plant.  Seed-beds  should,  at  all  times,  be  fairly 
moist  and  never  be  allowed  to  become  dry  or  to  show  dryness  on 
the  surface.  The  seed  is  small  and  is  only  planted  on  the  surface. 
Good  seed  should  germinate  in  from  12  to  15  days.  In  from  six 
to  eight  weeks,  the  more  hardy  plants  will  be  ready  for  the  field 
and  the  others  will  follow  in  quick  succession,  until  the  bed  is 
exhausted  of  all  desirable  plants. 

Young  plants  should  be  allowed  considerable  sunshine  to  hard- 
en them  before  transplanting. 

Every  tobacco  grower  should  save  his  own  seed,  and,  in  its 
selection,  care  should  be  taken  to  save  seed  only  from  such  plants 


as  fill  all  the  requirements  that  are  exacted  by  the  trade  in  the 
finished  leaf. 

In  a  field  of  growing  tobacco,  many  types  may  be  observed. 
The  best  should  be  selected  for  seed.  By  protecting  the  seed 
heads  or  keeping  all  other  plants  well  topped,  cross  fertilization 
may  be  avoided. 

Seed  plants  should  have  the  small  upper  leaves  and  all  the 
sprouting  seed  branches  and  suckers  removed  and  seed  only 
saved  from  the  center  head.  All  the  large  leaves  should  remain 
on  the  plant  until  seed  is  mature,  when  the  pod  turns  brown  in 
color. 

PLOWING  AND  TRANSPLANTING. 

The  land  selected  for  a  tobacco  field  should  be  such  as  can  be 
plowed  both  ways.  It  should  be  sheltered  from  the  high  trade 
winds  that  sometimes  blow  with  great  force.  Small  square  plots, 
of  from  2  to  5  acres  each,  would  form  good  fields  for  a  small 
planter,  especially  if  surrounded  by  the  forest.  It  is  well  to 
plow  the  land  some  little  time  in  advance  of  the  planting. 

Tobacco  being  a  tap-rooted  plant,  in  some  instances  sending  its 
roots  down  to  a  depth  of  2  feet  or  more,  requires  that  tillage 
shall  be  deep  in  preparing  the  land  to  receive  the  young  plants. 
The  soil  should  be  plowed  to  a  depth  of  at  least  12  inches.  The 
work  must  be  done  in  such  a  manner  that  the  sub-soil  is 
not  brought  to  the  surface.  Have  the  soil  fine  and  loose  but 
leave  the  sterile,  acid  sub-soil  underneath  where  nature  placed  it. 
Put  the  soil  in  good,  mellow  condition,  as  it  pays  to  do  so  for 
any  crop. 

As  soon  as  the  land  is  plowed  and  harrowed,  the  field  should 
be  poisoned  to  kill  pokos,  army  worms,  Japanese  beetles  and  the 
various  pests  usually  abundant  in  newly  turned  land.  There  are 
two  remedies  which  are  of  about  equal  value.  Sow  one  or  the 
other  of  the  following  broadcast  over  the  newly  plowed  land : 

Arsenicated  Horse-manure.  To  40  pounds  of  dried,  fresh  horse 
manure,  as  free  from  straw  as  possible,  add  6  to  8  ounces  Paris 
Green  mixed  with  5  pounds  of  common  salt.  Stir  until  the  salt 
and  Paris  Green  are  thoroughly  incorporated  in  every  part  of  the 
manure.    This  amount  is  sufficient  for  one  acre. 

Poisoned  bran.  To  2  pecks  of  bran  or  coarse  cornmeal,  add  4 
ounces  Paris  Green  or  8  ounces  disparene  and  2  quarts  of  molasses 


IO 

or  honey  or  5  pounds  coarse  sugar.  If  sugar  is  used,  moisten  the 
bran  with  water.  Stir  and  mix  thoroughly  and  scatter  over  the 
field. 

Poisoned  horse-manure  is  safer  than  poisoned  bran  and  some- 
what cheaper.  Pokos  and  army  worms  like  it  fully  as  well  as  the 
sweetened  bran  and  cattle,  chickens  and  other  domestic  animals 
are  less  liable  to  be  poisoned  through  eating  it.  The  Japanese 
beetle  seems  to  prefer  the  poisoned  bran. 

The  field  being  prepared  and  the  plants  ready,  they  can  be  set 
cut  at  any  time  of  the  year  when  the  soil  is  in  a  moist  condition 
and  the  sky  is  clouded.  Plant  only  good,  strong,  healthy  plants 
in  the  field.  It  is  poor  economy  to  set  a  sickly  plant  anywhere 
and  give  it  care  and  cultivation,  with  but  little  chance  for  a  re- 
turn from  it  for  the  time  and  labor  expended. 

It  can  hardly  be  expected,  and  especially  in  Hawaii,  that  every 
seed  will  grow  and  produce  an  ideal  plant.  Such  has  not  been 
our  experience.  It  seems  to  be  a  characteristic  of  tropical  coun- 
tries, and,  to  this  Hawaii  is  no  exception,  that  cultivated  plants 
show  marked  individual  variation  in  their  growth.  Some  plants, 
even  of  types  that  show  unformity  when  grown  in  cooler  lands, 
when  grown  in  hot  countries  break  up  into  a  number  of  forms. 
There  must  be  enough  good  plants  to  reset  in  the  places  of  those 
that  fail  to  grow  or  vary  from  the  type. 

The  tap-root  of  a  tobacco  plant  is  its  anchor.  In  planting,  it 
should  be  kept  as  straight  as  possible.  The  growth  and  success 
of  the  plant  depends  upon  this  being  carefully  looked  after.  Our 
experience  has  been  that  eight  out  of  ten  plants  that  failed  to 
make  a  good  growth  could  be  traced  to  a  deformed  tap-root  or 
careless  transplanting. 

In  taking  up  young  plants  from  seed-beds  or  boxes,  use  a  point- 
ed stick  to  run  under  the  plants  wanted,  and,  with  a  prying  and 
twisting  motion,  this  plant  is  so  loosened  that,  taking  it  by  the 
tips  of  the  top  leaves,  it  can  be  lifted  from  the  soil  with  most  of 
its  roots  intact.  Do  not  take  hold  of  a  small  plant  at  the  growing 
bud,  for  it  will  be  bruised,  no  matter  how  lightly  handled.  If  the 
plants  are  large,  they  may  be  handled  at  the  base  of  the  stalk  far 
better  than  by  the  leaves  when  planting  out  in  the  field. 

Pack  the  plants  carefully  in  a  broad,  shallow  basket  or  tray, 
provided  with  a  handle  and  keep  covered  from  the  air  and  the 
sun.  If  the  field  is  near,  do  not  lift  too  many  at  one  time.  Do 
not  place  any  of  the  plants  in  water,  as  it  causes  all  lateral  roots 


1 1 


to  cling  to  the  tap-root,  from  which  they  can  not  easily  be  sep- 
arated, thus  causing  the  plant  to  be  poorly  set.  A  little  loose, 
damp  earth,  sprinkled  among  the  roots  of  the  plants  and  the  tops 
slightly  wet  and  covered,  prepares  the  plants  to  stand  a  longer 
journey.  Properly  packed,  they  can  be  set  next  day  with  good 
results  or  can  be  transported  to  some  distance.  It  often  saves 
time  to  set  a  few  extra  plants  now  and  then  through  the  field, 
between  the  regular  rows,  to  be  used  later  to  fill  vacancies  that 
may  occur.  Quite  large  plants  can  be  moved  if  a  little  soil  is 
left  around  the  roots. 

Sometimes  it  is  advisable  to  set  small  plants  from  seed-beds 
or  boxes  to  a  nursery  until  they  attain  a  larger  growth,  if  not 
enough  seed  boxes  or  beds  have  been  provided.  Another  good 
reason  for  doing  this  is  that  after  a  good  many  plants  are  removed, 
the  remainder  are  loosened  and  disturbed. 

If  the  sun  is  shining  when  the  seedlings  are  transplanted, 
the  young  plants  need  some  shade  until  they  start.  Ti  leaves 
make  a  good  shade.  Stick  the  stem  end  into  the  ground  and  bend 
it  over  the  young  tobacco  plant  and  fasten  the  other  end  with  a 
handful  of  soil  laid  upon  it. 

Take  the  plants  from  the  seed-beds  with  all  the  roots  possible. 
Do  not  pull  them  up  and  break  the  lateral  roots,  but  loosen  the 
soil  well  and  take  up  carefully.  If  the  tap-root  is  too  long,  pinch 
it  oft  some,  but  be  sure  to  plant  it  straight.  Set  the  plants  well 
into  the  ground.  Set  large  plants  with  the  hand  and  have  the 
soil  so  loosened  up  that  the  end  of  the  fingers  do  not  come  in 
contact  with  the  hard  sub-soil  in  scooping  out  a  place  to  set  the 
plant,  then  holding  the  plant  in  the  center  of  the  hole  thus  made, 
supporting  any  lateral  roots  with  the  fingers,  firm  the  bottom 
of  the  tap-root  with  soil  up  to  the  lateral  roots,  then  spread  these 
out  and  place  fine  soil  upon  them,  fill  up  and  firm  the  top  with 
the  hands  or  with  the  feet. 

In  Hamakua,  tobacco  can  be  set  at  any  time  and  will  grow,  but 
it  will  grow  better  and  faster  from  February  to  September  (warm 
weather),  although,  if  set  in  September  and  October,  if  the 
ground  is  wet,  it  will  make  enough  growth  to  mature  a  crop 
during  the  cold  weather. 

It  pays  to  take  considerable  pains  to  get  good  stocky  plants  and 
have  them  well  set.  A  full  stand  of  seedlings  of  uniform  age 
and  vitality  is  the  first  requisite  towards  success  in  growing  to- 
bacco. 


12 


If  the  acreage  is  large  enough  to  warrant  the  outlay,  trans- 
planting machinery  may  be  employed.  With  three  men  and  a  good 
team,  from  two  to  four  acres  of  tobacco  can  be  transplanted  in  one 
day.  These  machines  set  the  plant,  water  it  and  pack  the  dirt 
around  it,  and,  when  running  in  proper  shape,  do  the  work  more 
uniformly  than  a  gang  of  laborers. 

Young  plants  can  also  be  set  with  a  flat,  round-pointed  dibble. 
This  instrument  leaves  a  deep,  narrow  opening  in  the  soil,  allow- 
ing room  for  the  lateral  roots  to  stand  out  straight  and  the  earth 
is  firmed  up  against  the  plant.  The  roots  are  then  in  a  good 
position  and  not  cramped  up  in  a  small,  round  hole.  If  water  is 
used  during  planting,  the  hole  left  by  the  dibble  in  firming  the 
plant,  is  the  proper  place  to  apply  the  water. 

Care  should  always  be  used  in  handling  young  tobacco  plants, 
as  the  leaves  and  shoots  are  very  brittle  and  tender  and  break 
easily.  Tobacco  should  be  planted  on  slightly  raised  ridges,  some 
3  or  4  inches  higher  than  the  surrounding  ground,  as  it  facili- 
tates drainage,  places  the  plants  in  a  more  decided  position  and  less 
liable  to  injury  through  cultivation. 

The  distance  between  the  plants  in  the  row  and  the  width  of  the 
rows  is  governed  by  the  kind  of  tobacco  planted  and  the  use  to 
which  the  finished  leaf  is  to  be  put,  whether  wrapper  or  filler. 

Planted  close  in  the  row  and  the  rows  near  each  other,  the 
tobacco  grows  tall,  with  short,  narrow,  thin  leaves,  of  a  poor 
body,  because  they  do  not  get  enough  sunshine  to  properly  ripen. 
On  the  other  hand,  plants  set  far  apart  in  the  row  and  a  greater 
distance  between  the  rows,  giving  more  room  for  the  plant  to 
expand,  produce  the  other  extreme,  a  long,  wide,  thick  leaf  of 
heavy  body,  coarse  veins  and  a  woodiness  in  the  cured  leaf  that 
is  undesirable. 

No  cigar  tobacco  should  be  set  less  than  15  inches  apart  in  the 
row,  and  not  less  than  3  feet  between  the  rows.  Room  to  culti- 
vate must  be  left  so  that  the  laborers  will  not  break  and  tear  the 
leaves  when  working  between  the  rows.  But  the  right  distance 
to  plant  must  be  determined  by  each  planter  to  suit  the  type  of 
tobacco  grown  and  the  character  of  the  soil. 

In  Hamakua,  the  average  cigar  tobaccos,  such  as  the  Cuban, 
Sumatra,  Connecticut  seed  leaf  and  Zimmer  Spanish,  do  well  15 
inches  in  the  row  and  3  feet  5  inches  between  rows.  An  acre, 
set  at  this  distance,  contains  about  10,000  plants. 

The  manufacturing  tobaccos  producing  a  larger  leaf  require 


13 

more  room  each  way  and  should  be  set  2  feet  4  inches  apart  in 
rows  4  feet  apart. 

The  tap-root  of  a  good  tobacco  plant  will  go  down  over  2  feet 
and  its  laterals  run  2  and  3  feet  each  side  of  the  stalk. 

The  lateral  or  feeding  roots  run  just  under  the  surface  of  the 
ground  so  that  cultivation  must  not  be  deep  enough  to  disturb 
them,  therefore  the  more  need  of  a  clean  field  at  the  start.  A 
clean  field  is  much  easier  to  take  care  of  than  a  weedy  one.  A 
garden  rake,  lightly  run  over  the  surface  of  the  ground,  disturbs 
the  crust  formed  by  rain,  stopping  evaporation  and  killing  sprout- 
ing weed  seeds.  The  field  is  only  occupied  by  the  tobacco  3  to 
4  months  for  each  crop  and  should  be  kept  clean  for  that  time. 
Plants  show  their  appreciation  of  good  care  and  it  pays  to  attend 
to  their  wants. 

Having  no  frosts  in  Hawaii,  throughout  the  belt  of  land  that 
can  be  planted  to  tobacco,  any  backward  plant  can  be  left  to  come 
to  maturity  and  its  leaf  finally  secured,  but  such  plants  must  not 
be  allowed  to  flower  or  produce  seed. 

TOPPIXG  AND  SUCKERING. 

In  about  seven  to  eight  weeks  after  setting  in  the  field,  the 
plant  will  send  up  a  head  or  seed  cluster,  which  should  be  removed 
in  all  cases  before  any  of  the  flowers  open. 

Topping  must  not  be  neglected,  as  the  pollen  and  falling  petals 
adhere  to  the  green,  gummy  leaves,  causing  them  to  spot  in  this 
climate  and  become  worthless. 

Sometimes  before  topping,  but  generally  after,  suckers  will 
start  from  where  the  leaf  joins  the  stalk.  These  must  be  removed, 
because  they  take  nutriment  from  the  plant  that  should  go  to  the 
leaves,  it  being  leaf  development  that  is  wanted. 

After  the  main  crop  is  harvested,  a  sucker  crop  may  be  raised. 
It  is  doubtful  if  it  will  pay  in  Hawaii,  as  it  is  a  difficult  matter 
to  get  the  sucker  to  grow  from  the  bottom  part  of  the  plant,  but 
if  all  the  upper  suckers  are  kept  off,  a  bottom  sucker  will  usually 
start.  After  all  the  leaves  on  the  plant  are  harvested,  the  stalk 
should  be  cut  just  above  the  sucker.  If  this  sucker  is  not  allowed 
to  grow  before  the  plant  is  cut  down,  it  will  not  start  in  this  cli- 
mate, the  old  plant  dying  down  into  the  root. 

In  topping,  sometimes  a  backward  plant  may  be  made  to  in- 
crease its  yield  of  leaf  from  10  to  20  per  cent.,  if  topped  a  little 
lower  than  usual  and  a  sucker  allowed  to  grow  from  the  top  of 


14 

the  plant  and  that,  in  turn,  topped  and  suckered  like  the  original 
plant.    In  topping,  cut  below  the  third  leaf  from  the  seed  bud. 

HARVESTING    AND    CURING. 

Between  the  time  of  planting  and  harvesting,  a  tobacco  barn 
must  be  provided  large  enough  to  care  for  the  entire  crop.  This 
structure  should  be  of  lumber  rather  than  galvanized  iron,  with 
shingle  roof,  hinged  frieze,  or  gable-ventilators  and  the  sides 
provided  with  vertical  ventilators  extending  from  sill  to  plate 
the  idea  being  to  secure  complete  control  of  temperature  and  air 
draughts  within  the  building  during  the  curing  process.  The 
side  walls  should  be  of  i"xi2"  N.  W.,  with  the  cracks  battened. 
Windows  are  not  required,  as  the  ventilators  may  be  opened 
for  light  during  the  process  of  filling  the  barn  with  green  leaf. 
The  inside  arrangement  should  be  such  that  the  tobacco  leaves, 
fastened  on  four  foot  laths,  can  be  hung  in  tiers  from  top  to  bot- 
tom of  the  shed,  so  as  to  fill  the  whole  space.  The  larger  the  barn, 
the  more  readily  can  the  air  temperature  within  it  be  controlled. 
A  tobacco  barn,  properly  constructed,  should  last  for  twenty 
years.  In  Hamakua,  at  the  elevation  where  our  tobacco  experi- 
ment is  being  conducted,  a  stove  must  be  provided  to  heat  the 
air  and  control  moisture,  because  of  the  frequent  periods  of  fog 
and  cloudy  weather.  This  stove  is  placed  outside  of  the  shed  with 
the  pipe  or  flue  passing  either  across  through  the  house,  from  side 
to  side,  or,  inside  a  large  barn,  around  two  or  more  walls. 

In  from  3  to  4  weeks  after  topping,  some  of  the  leaves  will  be 
ripe.  The  lower  ones  ripen  first  and  if  not  removed,  they  wither, 
turn  yellow,  dry  up  at  the  point,  get  spotted  in  patches  and  then 
fall  off,  a  total  loss  of  leaf,  as  the  tobacco  is  then  fit  for  nothing. 

There  are  two  methods  in  use  in  harvesting  tobacco.  For  high 
grade  cigar  leaf,  priming  is  the  one  to  employ.  Each  leaf  is  cut 
from  the  plant  as  it  ripens,  and,  as  three  or  four  leaves  are  ripe 
at  about  the  same  time,  it  is  not  so  much  work  as  one  would  think. 

The  primed  leaves  are  placed  in  shallow  trays  or  baskets  and 
taken  to  the  curing  house.  The  leaves  should  be  carefully  handled 
to  avoid  bruising  and  breaking.  It  is  a  great  saving  of  room  in 
the  curing  house,  if  at  this  time,  the  leaves  are  assorted  according 
to  length. 

Tobacco  does  not  cure  well  if  strung,  say  a  20  inch  leaf  that  is 
12  inches  wide  next  to  a  12  inch  leaf  that  is  6  inches  wide.  The 
wide,  long  leaf  will,  in  curing,  roll  over  the  small  one  and  cover 


15 

it,  so  it  does  not  dry  properly,  but  has  every  chance  to  mold  and 
also  cause  the  outside  leaf  to  mold. 

Room  is  also  gained  in  the  house,  as  the  racks  can  be  so  placed 
to  accommodate  the  different  lengths  without  waste  of  space.  It 
does  not  require  24  inches  of  space  in  which  to  hang  a  12  inch 
leaf. 

Assorting  is  more  quickly  done  in  the  green  state,  as  far  as 
length  and  width  are  concerned,  than  when  the  tobacco  is  cured. 

In  curing,  the  leaves  shrink  one  inch  in  every  twelve  inches  of 
length  and  in  the  same  proportion  for  the  width.  The  green 
leaves,  sorted  to  length,  are  strung  with  a  sail  needle  upon  cotton 
twine,  face  to  face,  and  back  to  back,  about  one  inch  apart.  The 
string  is  knotted  at  each  end  and  the  ends  are  slipped  into  a  cut 
in  each  end  of  a  4  foot  lath.  The  laths  are  then  carried  and  hung 
in  tiers  upon  the  racks  within  the  barn. 

Patented  tobacco  poles,  consisting  of  laths  with  sharp-pointed 
12  inch  wires,  fixed  six  inches  apart  and  extending  half  their 
length  on  each  side  of  the  lath,  are  much  used  in  some  mainland 
tobacco  districts.  The  green  leaves  are  strung  through  their 
stems  on  these  wires,  4  to  6  leaves  on  each  end  of  the  wire.  The 
leaves  should  not  touch  each  other.  As  they  wilt,  the  poles  may 
be  shoved  along  closer  together,  thus  greatly  economizing  space. 

As  soon  as  the  house  is  filled  with  green  leaf,  close  all  the  ven- 
tilators, and,  if  the  weather  is  rainy  or  foggy,  apply  a  gentle  heat, 
If  hot  and  dry,  the  artificial  heat  is  not  required.  No  exact  rule 
of  procedure  can  be  laid  down,  but  the  temperature  and  ventila- 
tion in  the  curing  barn  must  be  so  regulated  as  to  cause  a  gradual 
yellowing  of  the  leaf.  The  more  this  process  of  gradual  death 
of  the  living  cells  of  the  leaf  can  be  prolonged,  without  inducing 
the  development  of  molds,  rot  and  pole  burn,  the  better  will  be 
the  quality  of  the  finished  article.  Sudden  changes  of  tempera- 
ture are  injurious  to  the  leaf. 

All  living  green  plants  contain  within  their  cells  various  un- 
stable chemical  compounds  known  as  "enzymes."  The  physio- 
logical function  of  these  "enzymes"  is  but  little  understood,  but  it 
is  known  that  they  increase  in  amount  when  the  vitality  of  the 
plant  is  weakened  by  disease.  The  function  of  the  leaves  of 
plants  is  to  elaborate  food  to  the  end  that  the  plants  may  com- 
plete their  full  life-cycle,  put  forth  flowers  and  ripen  seeds  to 
reproduce  the  species. 

In   the  artificial  cultivation   of  tobacco,   the  natural  life-cycle 


i6 

of  the  plant  is  disturbed  and  interfered  with  through  continuous 
topping  and  suckering  or  pinching  off  of  all  flower  buds.  .This 
causes  what  might  be  called  a  diseased  condition  in  the  leaves. 
Instead  of  being  able  to  live  as  millions  of  generations  of  tobacco 
plants  have  lived  before  man  took  to  cultivating  this  crop,  the 
plant  is  forced,  whenever  it  gets  ready  to  flower  and  reproduce 
itself,  to  turn  back  and  again  store  up  the  necessary  supplies  of 
food  in  the  leaves,  always  having  seed  production  as  the  ultimate 
object.  In  this  artificially  diseased  state,  the  enzymes  within  the 
living  cells  increase  enormously  and  this  is  what  primarily  con- 
stitutes the  "ripening  process"  of  tobacco  leaves.  A  plant  cell, 
which  is  being  gradually  murdered,  acquires  a  comparatively 
large  stock  of  enzymes.  On  the  contrary,  where  death  is  rapid 
there  is  but  little  development  of  these  compounds.  It  is  through 
the  oxidation  and  chemical  breaking:  down  of  these  enzymes 
that  the  curing  of  a  ripe  tobacco  leaf  is  effected.  In  a  green 
leaf  that  is  cut  or  broken  from  its  mother-plant,  the  enzymes 
present  are  rendered  inert  if  it  is  quickly  dried  so  that  death  of  the 
plant  cells  is  rapid.  The  heat,  light  and  humidity  in  a  tobacco 
barn  must  be  controlled  and  manipulated  so  as  to  cause  the  death 
of  the  green  cells  of  the  leaf  by  gradual  starvation.  As  the  green 
color  fades  out  of  a  properly  cured  leaf,  it  is  succeeded  by  the 
characteristic  rich,  mellow,  tobacco  brown.  When  the  veins  and 
midrib  of  the  leaf  have  lost  their  green  color,  the  tobacco  is 
cured.  In  Hamakua,  the  curing  process  requires  from  two  to 
four  weeks. 

The  determination  of  the  proper  time  to  harvest  tobacco  leaves 
is  a  matter  of  judgment  and  experience.  Leaves  that  are  under- 
ripe cure  greenish,  thin,  papery  and  brittle.  Those  over-ripe  be- 
come harsh,  thick  and  of  uneven  color.  A  ripe  leaf  cures  gum- 
my, pliable,  elastic  and  of  an  even  color. 

Each  kind  of  tobacco  has  its  special  characteristics  and  must 
be  treated  accordingly.  Cigar  tobaccos  require  slower  barn  cur- 
ing and  more  careful  manipulation  during  the  whole  period  of 
growth,  curing  and  fermentation  than  do  the  cheaper  grades  of 
manufacturing  and  export  tobaccos. 

FERMENTATION. 

The  fermentation  or  bulking  house  should  be  constructed  of  T 
and  G  or  other  matched  lumber  or  of  i"xi2"  N.  W.,  battened,  in 
order  to  have  the  room  where  the  fermenting  is  done  air-tight. 


*7 

Controllable  frieze  ventilators  and  windows  must  be  provided. 
The  sills  should  rest  on  or  in  the  ground,  leaving  a  dirt  floor. 

As  soon  as  the  tobacco  in  the  barn  is  cured  and  has  been  tied 
into  hands,  an  operation  that  must  be  made  while  the  tobacco  is 
moist  and  pliable,  the  hands  are  packed  in  cases  and  taken  at 
once  to  the  fermenting  house.  The  tobacco,  when  cured,  musf: 
not  be  handled  when  it  is  dry,  else  it  will  crumble  and  be  broken, 
thus  destroying  the  value  of  such  leaves  as  are  suitable  for  wrap- 
per. 

In  the  fermenting  house,  platforms  raised  about  6  inches  from 
the  floor,  12  feet  long  by  5  feet  wide  and  with  boarded  ends  7 
feet  high,  have  been  built.  The  bottom  and  ends  of  the  platform 
are  lined  with  heavy  paper. 

The  hands  of  tobacco,  fresh  from  the  curing  house,  are  placed 
side  by  side,  butt  out,  even  with  the  edge  of  the  platform,  tip 
towards  center.  Another  row  is  then  laid,  overlapping,  tip  to- 
wards center  and  so  on  until  the  floor  of  the  platform  is  covered. 
Layers  are  built  on  top  of  this  in  the  same  manner  until  the  pile 
is  from  5  to  7  feet  high.  A  cotton  blanket  is  spread  over  the  pile 
and  this  covered  with  rubber  blankets  or  tarpaulins. 

If  the  tobacco  is  sufficiently  moist  and  pliable  when  placed  in 
bulk,  fermentation  begins  at  once.  A  platform,  5x12  feet,  will 
accommodate  5000  to  6000  pounds  of  leaf.  A  more  satisfactory 
ferment  will  be  secured  using  this  quantity  than  with  a  smaller 
amount. 

The  leaves  should  have  from  25  to  30%  of  moisture  when 
placed  in  bulk.  If  too  dry,  the  amount  can  be  increased  by  wet- 
ting down  the  floor  and  walls  of  the  house  with  hot  water,  or, 
by  leading  live  steam  into  the  room  during  the  time  that  the  bulk 
is  being  filled,  as  cured  tobacco  leaves  very  readily  absorb  mois- 
ture from  the  air.  After  the  bulk  is  finished,  the  temperature 
of  the  room  should  be  kept  rather  high,  the  ventilators  being  oc- 
casionally opened  to  permit  escape  of  the  ammonia  which  is  gen- 
erated in  volume.  If  the  tobacco  was  sufficiently  moist,  there  will 
be  a  daily  rise  in  temperature  or  from  50  to  8°  F. 

"In  large  establishments  the  temperature  and  humidity  of  the  room 
can  be  thoroughly  regulated  to  secure  uniform  progress  of  the  fermen- 
tation. This  is  done  by  steam  pipes  to  warm  the  room,  in  which  there 
are  vents  for  the  escape  of  steam  when  it  is  desired  to  make  the  atmo- 
sphere more  moist.  The  temperature  of  the  room  is  kept  quite  high, 
and  the  vapor  from  the  bulk  which  is  being  worked  over  is  very  punJ 


i8 

gent  and  almost  overpowering.  There  is  a  very  strong  odor  of  ammo- 
nia, which  makes  it  difficult  to  breathe. 

The  bulk  is  watched  very  closely,  and  as  the  temperature  rises  it  is 
torn  down,  each  hand  of  tobacco  is  taken  up  and  shaken  thoroughly  to 
dry  it  a  little,  to  cool  it  slightly,  and  to  open  the  leaves  s<d  that  they 
will  not  stick  together.  Before  the  sweat  is  completed  the  bulk  is 
pulled  down  and  built  up  eight  or  ten  times,  according  to  the  condition 
of  the  tobacco.  It  is  impossible,  even  for  an  expert  curer,  to  give 
explicit  directions  as  to  when  the  bulk  should  be  turned,  as  it  depends 
entirely  upon  the  condition  of  the  tobacco  and  the  temperature  it 
attains,  and  these  must  be  determined  by  the  operator. 

The  temperature  must  rise  gradually,  and  if  it  is  found  to  be  rising 
too  rapidly  the  bulk  is  torn  down  and  a  fresh  one  built  up.  Sometimes 
the  bulk  is  not  up  over  twenty-four  hours  before  it  is  torn  down  again 
and  built  up  afresh.  If  the  tobacco  is  in  high  case— that  is,  quite 
moist — the  bulks  have  to  be  turned  over  frequently  in  order  to  prevent 
too  rapid  action  and  to  shake  out  the  leaves  which  would  otherwise 
stick  together.  If  a  bulk,  as  seldom  happens,  should  dry  out,  it  is 
turned  over  and  mixed  with  a  bulk  which  is  in  high  case.  The  tobacco 
should  never  be  sprinkled  in  this  stage  of  the  process  to  bring  it  into 
case. 

The  temperature  of  the  pile  is  allowed  to  rise  gradually  until  it  occa- 
sionally reaches  140°  F.  The  fermentation  is  then  at  its  highest.  From 
this  point  the  temperature  subsides  until  the  fermentation  is  complete 
and  the  bulk  attains  the  normal  temperature  of  the  room.  This  maxi- 
mum temperature  must  not  be  reached  too  quickly,  and  it  must  be  man- 
aged differently  with  the  different  tobaccos.  The  fermentation  must  be 
carefully  controlled  and  not  allowed  to  go  too  far  with  the  wrapper 
leaf.  With  the  filler,  the  further  it  goes  and  the  more  intense  the  action 
the  stronger  and  finer  will  the  tobacco  be  for  its  purpose,  if  the  work  is 
judiciously  done.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  it  is  not  unusual  to  resweat  the 
filler  leaf  to  bring  out  the  strong,  rich  properties  which  it  is  desired  to 
develop.  As  the  fermentation  does  not  extend  to  the  bottom  of  the  pile, 
it  is  customary  to  put  8  or  10  inches  of  trash,  which  has  already  been 
sweated,  on  the  bottom. 

After  the  sweat  the  tobacco  is  brought  into  proper  case  and  is  then 
very  carefully  sorted.  The  wrapper  leaf  is  sorted  into  four  grades  of 
light  wrappers  and  four  grades  of  dark  wrappes,  according  to  the  length 
of  the  leaves.  These  are  placed  in  small  boxes  on  either  side  of  the 
operator,  and  when  a  box  is  full  the  leaves  are  taken  out  and  the  Cuban 
tobacco  is  put  up  into  "carottes"  (cylindrical  rolls).  The  carottes  are 
made  up  into  bales  similar  in  every  way  to  the  Cuban  package,  the 
wrappings  being  imported  from  Cuba  for  the  purpose. 

The  filler  leaves  are  frequently  resweated  and  are  usually  petuned,  a 
process  which  makes  them  very  much  heavier,  darker,  and  stronger. 
The  petuning  is  either  done  by  spraying,  which  is  the  best  way,  or  by 
dipping  the  tobacco.  The  essential  part  of  the  petuning  liquid  is  a 
thick  infusion  of  tobacco  stems  of  the  finest  quality  obtainable.  To  this 
is  added  molasses,  cider,  Jamaica  rum,  or  sour  wine.    Frequently  other 


19 

matters  are  put  into  the  petuning  liquid,  according  to  the  taste  or  fancy 
of  the  operator,  to  add  quality  to  the  leaf.  This  is  a  secret  of  the  Cuban 
method,  and  the  only  part  of  the  process  which  they  are  unwilling  to 
divulge. 

When  the  petuning  is  done  by  dipping  the  tobacco,  each  hand  is 
dipped  separately  and  is  then  thoroughly  shaken,  after  which  it  must 
be  bulked  down  to  draw — that  is.  until  the  moisture  has  become  thor- 
oughly absorbed  and  evenly  distributed  through  the  leaves.  Otherwise 
they  would  be  apt  to  spot  and  change  color.  The  wrappers  are  never 
treated  in  this  way.  as  it  is  not  desirable  that  they  should  have  the 
properties  of  a  good  filler. 

After  the  bales  have  been  made  up  they  are  put  into  a  warehouse  in 
piles,  not  over  three  or  four  bales  high,  and  should  be  kept  at  a  moder- 
ately uniform  and  rather  cool  temperature  at  least  two  years,  in  order 
that  the  tobacco  shall  age,  before  it  is  suitable  for  making  up  into  ci- 
gars. There  seems  to  be  no  particular  change  that  goes  on,  at  least  no 
noticeable  outward  change,  as  in  the  case  of  fermentation,  but  the  to- 
bacco loses  the  harshness  that  is  always  noticeable  in  fresh  tobacco 
and  becomes  mellow,  as  wines  and  liquors  do  by  standing.  When  prop- 
erly put  up  it  will  keep  almost  indefinitely  in  the  bale,  and  the  longer  it 
is  left  to  age  the  better  it  becomes. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  tobacco  can  be  handled  much  better,  as  well 
as  more  economically,  in  large  than  in  small  quantities.  The  fermenta- 
tion is  much  more  uniform  in  large  bulks  than  in  small.  If  there  are 
several  bulks  they  can,  if  necessary,  be  mixed  to  insure  the  proper  con- 
ditions. The  different  kinds  of  tobacco  need  to  be  treated  differently, 
and  this  is  only  possible  in  case  of  a  large  quantity,  where  the  selec- 
tions will  amount  to  enough  to  handle.  With  a  large  quantity  of  tobac- 
co, also,  it  is  possible  to  grade  more  carefully  and  more  closely,  and 
lastly,  it  is  always  essential  to  have  a  large  supply  of  tobacco  of  uni- 
form quality  in  order  that  manufacturers  may  maintain  any  particular 
line  of  goods  they  may  desire.  For  these  reasons  the  farmers  usually 
sell  their  crops  from  the  field  or  from  the  barn  to  the  larger  producers 
or  companies  who  maintain  curing  houses."1 

In  Hawaii,  the  period  of  fermentation  lasts  60  to  90  days.  Five 
pounds  of  green  leaf  produce  about  one  pound  of  finished  to- 
bacco. 

THE    TOBACCO   FARM    IN    HAMAKUA. 

The  crop  planted  during  March  and  April.  1904,  was  the  first 
systematic  and  scientific  attempt  to  grow  tobacco  in  Hawaii. 

An  acre  was  covered  with  an  open  wove  cotton  cloth,  "Ariel 
Tenting  Cloth,"  put  upon  plates  and  posts,  forming  a  flat  roof 

1U.  S.  Dept.  Agric.  Farmers  Bui.  Xo.  60,  second  revised  edition; 
Washington,  D.  C,  1002,  sent  free  on  application  to  the  Secretary  of 
Agriculture. 


20 

about  9  feet  above  the  ground ;  the  sides  were  also  covered  with 
the  same  kind  of  cloth,  making  a  tight  enclosure. 

This  covered  plot,  with  some  land  adjoining,  about  one  and 
one-fourth  acres  in  all,  was  planted  as  follows : 

Sumatra,  Florida 71-I3  per  cent 

Long  Stem   2.34  "  " 

Cuban,   Florida    H-73  "  " 

Vuelta  Abajo   2.84  "  " 

Connecticut  Broad  Leaf 2.77  " 

Seed 2.05  "  " 

Zimmer  Spanish    2.98  ' 

Virginia  Dark  Leaf 64  "  " 

White   Burley    3.20  "  '' 

Japanese  32 


100.00 

A  good  many  plants  under  the  cloth  shelter  were  killed  by  the 
drip  from  the  seams,  wires  and  plates  of  the  structure.  This  first 
year's  work  demonstrated  quite  clearly  that  tenting  tobacco  is 
not  a  success  in  Hawaii,  at  least  in  regions  of  high  rainfall. 

The  following  field  notes  may  prove  of  interest  and  value : 


Plot  A.     Sumatra. 

One  thousand  plants  produced  19,309  leaves,  weighing  green, 
684  pounds  or  137  pounds  of  finished  tobacco. 

2,230  leaves,  less  than  12  inches  long,  weighed  41  lbs.  13  oz. 


1,711 

12 

-    43 

1,900 

.. 

13 

. .         .. 

54  •■ 

9 

2,209 

' 

14 

-    72  " 

6 

2,152 

" 

• 

16 

" 

80  •• 

6 

2,283 

" 

' 

16 

11         n 

••    95  " 

5 

1,895 

leaves, 

17  inches 

5  long, 

we 

ighed  91 

lbs.  3  oz. 

1,578 

" 

18 

a 

" 

84 

"     4  " 

1,015 

19 

" 

58 

"   12  " 

605 

" 

20 

42 

"     7  " 

243 

" 

21 

' 

15 

«         g     u 

178 

" 

22 

" 

" 

' 

4 

u        y    a 

38 

23 

' * 

— 

, .                a 

1,273  waste  and  torn  leaves  weighed  35  lbs. 


21 

The  average  per  plant  was  19.3  leaves,  weighing  11.5  oz.  and 
the  estimated  yield  per  acre  containing  9,680  plants  was  6,332 
lbs.,  green  leaf,  which  would  make   1,260  lbs.  finished  tobacco. 

One  plant  on  "Plot  A."  bore  leaves  26  inches  long  by  15  inches 
wide  and  yielded  30  ounces  of  green  leaf.    Seed  was  saved  from  it. 

The  average  weight  of  the  stalk,  after  harvesting  the  leaves,  is 
about  10  ounces.  Sumatra  tobacco  averages  8  to  9  feet  in  height 
and  tops  at  about  7  feet. 

Plot  B.     Sumatra. 

This  tobacco  was  not  cut  until  over-ripe,  because  of  insuffi- 
cient provision  for  handling  the  ciop.  Many  of  the  lower  leaves 
had  dropped  off.  1,024  plants  yielded  13,228  leaves,  weighing 
413  lbs.  7  ounces  green,  the  average  per  plant  being  13  leaves, 
weighing  65  ounces.  The  average  loss,  through  delay  in  har- 
vesting, amounted  to  3  lbs.  6  oz.  per  plant. 

Plot  C.    Sumatra, 

1,079  plants  yielded  18,044  leaves,  only  a  portion  of  which 
were  weighed  or  measured  as  the  crop  was  far  past  its  prime. 

Plot  D.    Section  3.    Florida  Cuban — 492  plants. 

This  tobacco  grows  5  to  7  feet  in  height  and  tops  at  4  1-2  to 
51-2  feet.     4,025  leaves  were  harvested  as  follows : 

525  leaves,  less  than  12  inches  long,  weighed    9  lbs.  11  oz. 
400       " 
563       " 
563       " 

526  " 

505  " 

369  " 

300  " 

200  " 

100  " 

50  " 

Total....  169  "  7  " 
Each  plant  yielded  on  an  average  10.6  leaves,  weighing  green, 
6.8  ounces.  Florida  Cuban  tobacco  will  stand  planting  15  inches 
apart,  in  rows  3  feet  apart  or  at  the  rate  of  11,500  plants  to  the 
acre.  The  estimated  yield  per  acre  on  the  basis  of  the  yield 
obtained  is  4,870  lbs.  green  leaf  or  970  lbs.  finished  tobacco. 


12  " 

9  " 

13 

13     " 

"     15  " 

1  " 

14  " 

20  " 

9  " 

15    " 

22     " 

5  " 

16    " 

"     24  " 

12  " 

17    " 

21      " 

1  " 

18     " 

19  " 

3  •• 

19    "     " 

"     14  ' 

•    7  •• 

20 

8  " 

5  ■ 

21 

4  " 

4  ■' 

22 

Plot  E.     Section  3.     Vuelta  Abajo,  Cuban. 

This  is  a  low  growing  tobacco  averaging  about  41-2  feet  and 
topping  at  3  to  3  1-2  feet.    210  plants  yielded  1,500  leaves. 
100  leaves,  less  than  12  inches  long,  weighed  1  lb.  10  oz. 
210       "  "  12       "         "  "  4    "     7 

240       "  "  13       "         "  "  5    "11 

303       "  "  14       "         "  "  8    "  11 

297  15       "  9    "  10 

200      "  "  16       "         "  "  7    "11 

100       "  "  17       "         "  "         4    "     9 

50      "  "         18      "        "  "         2   "    8 


Total.  . .  .44  "  13 
The  average  per  plant  was  7.2  leaves,  weighing  green  3.4 
ounces.  This  tobacco  would  stand  planting  12  inches  apart,  in 
rows  3  feet  apart  or  at  the  rate  of  14,500  plants  per  acre.  The 
estimated  yield  per  acre  is  3,080  pounds  of  green  leaf  or  616 
pounds  finished  tobacco. 

Plot  E.    Section  1.     Connecticut  Broad  Leaf. 

This  tobacco  grows  4  to  6  feet  tall  and  tops  on  an  average  at 
3  feet  8  inches.  Some  of  the  leaves  were  37  inches  long  by  16 
wide.     H9  plants  bore  2,257  leaves  as  follows: 

294  leaves,  15  to  18  inches  long,  weighed    8  lbs.  2  oz. 


407 

18  "  21 

523    " 

21  "  24 

367 

24  "  27 

280  " 

27  "  30 

21    " 

360   " 

waste  an 

34  ' 

'  H  " 

32  ' 

'  8  " 

33 

1 

3  ' 

'  0  " 

18 

t     x  .. 

Total.  . .  .149    "     9  " 

The  average  per  plant  was  15.1  leaves,  weighing  1  pound. 
This  tobacco  is  planted  18  inches  apart,  in  rows  42  inches  apart. 
It  should  have  been  spaced  wider,  at  least  30  inches  in  the  row 
and  48  inches  between  rows.  Our  yield  was  at  the  rate  of  7,820 
pounds  of  green  leaf  or  1,560  pounds  of  finished  tobacco.  Con- 
necticut Broad  Leaf  is  difficult  to  cure  because  of  the  extraor- 
dinary thickness  of  the  midrib  and  lateral  veins.  None  of  the 
other  varieties  of  tobacco  grown  were  weighed  or  measured. 

Connecticut  Seed  Leaf  cured  lighter  than  any  of  the  other 
tobaccos  and  gave  a  thin,  light  leaf,  fit  for  wrapper. 

In  the  curing  shed,  this  molded  very  badly.  White  Burley 
would  not  cure  or  even  dry  without  molding.  It  will  require 
a  high  heat  to  cure.  It  is  a  pipe  tobacco  and  is  also,  to  some 
extent,  used  as  a  filler  in  cheap,  domestic  cigars. 

Japm  Tobacco  is  about  the  same  as  the  Broad  Leaf,  a  wide 


23 

leaf,  not  quite  so  long  but  with  a  large  midrib.  It  is  a  pipe  or 
cigarette  tobacco. 

Zimmer  Spanish  cured  very  dark,  harsh,  dry  and  brittle  and 
did  not  absorb  much  moisture  even  in  a  rainy  time.  It  is  used 
for  filler  in  the  cheaper  grades  of  domestic  cigars. 

The  following  tables  show  the  leaf  measurements  in  inches  of 
five  good  Sumatra  plants  and  the  height  and  number  of  leaves 
of  plants  of  some  other  varieties . 

SOME  GOOD  TOBACCO  PLANTS. 

Sumatra. 


Seed  Plant 


No.  i 


No.  6 


No.  9         No.  15         No.  17 


i  9" 


7' 3" 


Topped  at 

No.  of  Leaves       23  27 

Weight  of  Leaf  ilb.  130Z.   2lb. 


7   7 


i  9" 


22  25  22 

ilb.  140Z.    ilb.  90Z.    ilb.  90Z. 


First 

Leaf- 

Bottom 

7x16 

7ixi4 

7^174 

7x15 

74xi6j 

2nd. 

1  i 

8x16 

6x1 3i 

74xi8 

84xi  6 

74x17 

3rd. 

84xi84 

8x154 

84xi9 

8|xi 6 

8|xi84 

4th. 

94xi84 

8x1 5! 

9x19 

84xi7 

94x19 

5th. 

9^x19 

8x1 64 

9x21 

8x16 

10x19 

6th. 

10x20 

9x18 

IOX2o|- 

9x18 

10x19^ 

7th. 

10x20 

9x17^ 

IO^X23 

9x17^ 

11x22 

8th. 

Io4x2l4 

9x1 64 

I0|X22 

84xi7 

IIX2l| 

9th. 

12X23 

10x18 

104X22 

9x18 

124X21 

10th. 

13x234 

io4xi8 

io|x24 

9x18 

II^X22| 

nth. 

14x24 

nxi8| 

12^X242 

9x194 

12X22 

1 2th. 

1 3^x24 

10x18 

!3X24^ 

10x20 

124x23^ 

13th. 

13^x24 

10x18 

124X24 

10x20 

12^X23 

14th. 

14x244 

11x19 

13X25 

11x19^ 

124x23! 

15th. 

13x24 

10x18 

I3X26 

11x20 

13x23 

1 6th. 

14x234 

9^x17 

13X24 

11x20^ 

Il4x22 

17th. 

14x23 

94xi  8 

13^x25 

11x21 

11^X22 

18th. 

1 24x22 

10x17 

134x24 

1 1  x  1 94 

Il4x20 

19th. 

1 i4x22 

11x17! 

11^X21 

11^X20^ 

11X19^ 

20th. 

12^X20 

10x17 

11^X20 

10^X20 

ioJxi6 

2ISt. 

10^X15 

10x17 

9X15 

9^x19 

7^x13 

22nd 

IOXI4 

10x17 

6x12 

io|xi8i 

4^x9 

23rd. 

7XIO 

10x17 

9|xi6 

24th. 

10^x17 

9x15 

25th. 

92x17 

7xn| 

26th. 

8x14 

27th. 

Top 

8x12 

UNIVERSITY  OF  FLORIDA 


3  1262  09216  3111 


24 


Variety 


No.  of  No.  of  No.  of  No.  of 

Height  leaves  Height  leaves  Height  leaves  Height  leaves 


Conn.  Seed  Leaf  7'  9"  27 

Broad     "     6'  21 

Cuban  Florida      6' 2"  18 

Cuban  Vuelta       5'  9"  20 

Zimmer  Spanish  5'  3"  26 

White  Burley        5'  6"  21 


8' 

27 

7   9" 

28 

6' 3" 

20 

7' 

19 

7' 

21 

6' 3" 

20 

5'  8" 

18 

5' 9" 

19 

7'  9"  26 


5' 9" 


20 


JARED  G.   SMITH, 
C.   R.   BLACOW. 


Honolulu,  H.  T.,  Apr.  10,  1905. 


HONOLULU 

PARADISE  OF  THE  PACIFIC  PRINT 

J  905 


